National Center for Transgender Equality
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John,
In this moment of the national COVID-19 health crisis and vitally
important nationwide demonstrations in support of Black lives and
against systemic racism, it's heartening to have good news from
the Supreme Court. Today is a watershed moment for fairness and
affirms that LGBTQ people are, and should be, protected from
discrimination under federal law.
To celebrate this historic moment, we are inviting supporters to join
us for a virtual rally today at 7pm EST/4pm PST. There will also be a
virtual town hall discussion tonight at 8:30 EST/5:30pm PST for a more
in depth legal analysis about what these cases mean from LGBTQ
Americans. Please click here to RSVP.
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All three cases decided today by the highest court in the land address
discrimination in the workplace. In Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC,
Aimee Stephens, a transgender woman, was fired when she transitioned
on the job. The Court has declared, once and for all, that
discrimination against transgender people is unlawful, and that their
decision applies across the country. This ruling is truly historic.
Altitude Express v. Zarda and Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia are
both cases where gay employees were fired simply because of their
sexual orientation. Today's decision, in which Justice Gorsuch
wrote for the Court that "In Title VII, Congress adopted broad
language making it illegal for an employer to rely on an
employee's sex when deciding to fire that employee. We do not
hesitate to recognize today a necessary consequence of that
legislative choice: An employer who fires an individual merely for
being gay or transgender defies the law."
While today's decision ensures that LGBTQ people are protected
from discrimination at work - and very likely in other key areas such
as education, housing, and health care - other forms of discrimination
remain legal in many states, such as:
* For stores, restaurants and movie theaters to refuse service to
LGBTQ people.
* For federally funded programs, including hospitals, colleges,
and adoption agencies to deny LGBTQ people.
* To discriminate against LGBTQ people in a wide range of public
spaces ranging from retail stores to transportation services.
Today's historic decisions are a positive step forward towards
true equality for all, but there is much still to do. Only 22 states
fully and explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity
across all areas of public life. With today's ruling, we still
need Congress and state lawmakers across the country to catch up with
the Supreme Court and the American people and fully protect
transgender people from discrimination in all aspects of daily life,
by passing full federal non-discrimination protections.
Today is a day to celebrate. Tomorrow the work continues, though.
These three cases only address existing federal sex discrimination
laws, which themselves still have critical gaps. The everyday lives of
transgender people are still impacted by backward laws on the books
across the country, and on a federal level.
We will pass full and explicit federal protections for our
communities, covering every area of public life. Today's
decision is a historic victory, and also underscores the need to pass
the Equality Act.
What can you do to help? Plenty!
* Sign up to attend our #DecisionDay rally to celebrate these wins
tonight at 7PM EST/4pm PST
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* Follow our progress on Twitter and Facebook
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* Donate to support our fight
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Sincerely,
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Mara Keisling
Executive Director
NCTE
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National Center for Transgender Equality
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1133 19th St. NW, Suite 302, Washington, DC 20036
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